Angela Shupe on Storytelling, Strength, and the Women Who Inspired Her
Spotlight Q&A with Angela Shupe
What was the first spark that led you to begin writing In the Light of the Sun?
When I was young, I was enthralled by the stories told me by my mom and aunts about growing up in the Philippines and during wartime, as well as the stories of my aunt who went to Italy to voice train with their nonna, a former soprano who traveled the world performing with the Grande Compagnia d’Opera Italiana. With every visit, stories were shared about their wonderful father, their loving family, their love of music, the fun and mischief they had, and their overcoming of exceptionally difficult times. All of it had a profound effect on me. Rather than an initial spark, every anecdote shared kept the glowing embers of their story lit within me.
My mom, sadly, was diagnosed and suffered with Alzheimer’s for many years. My curiosity about her life experiences continued to grow during this time. When my closest friend died unexpectedly, her loss shook me to the core. This loss was also oxygen to those story embers. I felt an urgency to dig into my mom’s story to truly understand her life, as she was no longer able to share her stories.
How did your family’s stories—particularly those shared by the women in your life—influence the characters and themes of the novel?
My mother and aunts were exceptionally strong women who overcame immense difficulty during the war. Yet they went on to live full lives with joy, hope, and strength. I wanted to reflect that in the Grassi women. The three Grassi sisters, Caramina, Rosa, and Isabella, in their own unique ways, I hope, reflect that strength. The idea that you can overcome the most difficult circumstances and continue living a life with joy and hope is a timeless lesson I continue to learn as I’ve faced significant difficulty in my own life.
The novel centers on two sisters living continents apart during WWII. Why was it important for you to tell their stories in parallel?
Having the narratives of both the younger and the older sister, I hope, allows the reader to experience the war through the eyes of someone younger, more innocent, and somewhat sheltered, along with someone more mature and more sophisticated with the world.
There is so much richness in both settings—the mountainous jungle terrain in Luzon and the beauty of Florence and the opulence of the opera. I hope readers find themselves pushing palm fronds out of their way as they race down jungle paths with Caramina and can feel the cobbled streets of Florence underfoot as they accompany Rosa through the city. It was important to me to reflect both the similarities and the differences of living in these two disparate warfronts.
What kind of research did you undertake to capture the historical and cultural settings of the Philippines and Italy during the war?
Prior to deciding to write the book, I spoke with my aunts and godmother in an attempt to flesh out my mother’s experiences. Hearing their firsthand accounts was a blessing personally, which also benefited me as I wrote the book.
I read many books about the war in the Philippines, including several memoirs of people who, like my mother and aunts, grew up during wartime. Along with these, I read the firsthand accounts of soldiers, and the accounts from two women who were intrepid journalists, one of whom joined with a guerrilla troop and became second in command. I also read quite a bit of other non-fiction regarding the war. I’m grateful to my godmother, who was a first reader of Caramina’s narrative and advised me as only one who lived through the experience could.
In regard to Rosa’s story, I’d spoken with my aunt, who lived in Florence during the war. I’ve been fortunate to visit Italy several times, which aided in my research. I was also in contact with a few professors here in the US and in Florence who generously helped me direct my research. I devoured several non-fiction books on music in Italy under Mussolini, the resistance in Italy, opera, women in the Italian resistance, and Italy during the war. More information on the materials I used for research can be found on my website.
Can you talk about the role of music in the novel and why it serves as such a powerful emotional thread?
My mother, like Caramina, dreamed of becoming a soprano like her nonna and older sister. For a time, she voice trained. Though she didn’t continue to pursue music professionally, she sang throughout her life. I have memories of hearing her rich, beautiful voice as she performed sacred arias and many other pieces of music. Music brought her an immense amount of joy and fulfillment and impacted those who were fortunate to be her listeners. The profound effect music has in bringing healing, comfort, and joy, and breathing life into difficult situations, is woven throughout the book, as it is something I experienced through my mother.
What was the most challenging part when writing In the Light of the Sun—either emotionally or technically?
It’s been my experience that many people are unaware of the war in the Philippines. It was important to me to bring it to light as it was hugely impactful for the Filipino people, particularly young Filipinas.
Though I’d heard of the “comfort houses” when I began researching the war in the Philippines, I was devastated to learn the extent of the horrors perpetrated upon young Filipinas and other young Asian women by the Imperial Japanese Armed Forces. Between 1932 and 1945, over 200,000 women and girls were forced into sexual slavery. Many who survived were, sadly, ostracized and lived in silence due to a misplaced sense of shame. It wasn’t until the early 1990s that some of the survivors bravely began sharing their horrific experiences publicly.
The idea that Filipinas experienced these and other horrors, and that my mom lived through and witnessed these times firsthand, grieved me deeply. I had to pause my initial research before I was able to continue.
Did you discover anything surprising—about your family, history, or even yourself—while writing the book?
Before making the decision to add Rosa’s story to the book, I knew that one of my mom’s older sisters had gone to Florence to voice train. I’d already finished the Caramina narrative when I was stunned to learn, from this aunt, that she spent time in a Nazi jail for being an enemy alien as a Filipina citizen. It was a terrifying ordeal. She, like Rosa, wasn’t released until her nonna could provide her with Italian papers.
Throughout my research, I was surprised by the complexities of war. History doesn’t exist in a vacuum, and the circumstances of one time lay upon the realities of the past. That was very much the case in the Philippines and in Italy. In both countries, people had unique and varied histories that impacted their view of the horrendous situations they found themselves in and informed how they responded.
As a debut novelist, what did you find most rewarding and most difficult about completing a full-length historical novel?
Being able to honor my mom and her family by telling a story inspired by their experiences is enormously rewarding. As is receiving feedback from readers that the story was an encouragement to them, that you can walk through great difficulty and come out thriving and living a full life.
After reading Caramina’s narrative early on, my godmother thanked me for writing this story, which, in her words, “hadn’t been done” and for the “opportunity to revisit my childhood in a way that honors my memories.” Her words surprised me greatly and have made this experience so gratifying.
Also, the road to publication has been a many-year-long journey. The ups and downs can be incredibly discouraging. Meeting authors along the way who’ve generously mentored me, as well as meeting other aspiring authors, has been both wonderful and essential to pressing on.
In the Light of the Sun was a semi-finalist in the Faulkner-Wisdom Creative Writing Novel Competition. How did that early recognition impact your path to publication?
I was thrilled when I learned that In the Light of the Sun was placed as a semi-finalist. It was such an honor and encouraged me that there was something of value in the manuscript, and to continue pursuing publication. I think, initially, as I queried agents, it might have helped garner some attention. Though it wasn’t until several years after this that I signed with my agent and then signed a contract with my publisher.
What have you learned about yourself as a writer through the process of creating In the Light of the Sun?
As a debut author, I’ve learned that writing and publishing really are a process and to enjoy the journey. I’ve also learned that I’m continually drawn to stories of ordinary people in extraordinary circumstances who overcome. Strength, resilience, grace under pressure, and a sense of humor can go a long way to finding joy along the journey of life, including the writing journey.
Now that In the Light of the Sun is complete, what’s next for you creatively—do you have another novel in progress?
Right now, I’m in the process of doing research for another historical novel. Though I don’t want to give anything away, it would center on one of the characters from In the Light of the Sun. Like In the Light of the Sun, it would take place in more than one country. Nothing like a challenge! I love immersing myself in the research process, learning about other times and places. I’ve started working to shape this new story into a manuscript and hope to be able to share it with readers.
Is there anything you are reading or watching that you are really enjoying and would like to share?
I just finished reading and very much enjoyed Alexander Dumas’ The Three Musketeers for the first time. Earlier this year, my husband and I watched the BBC miniseries iteration of the Three Musketeers. It’s very different from the book but loads of fun. All that swashbuckling! I also just enjoyed Virginia Evans’ delightful and moving debut, The Correspondent, and am happily digging into Adriana Trigiani’s The View From Lake Como.